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TOEFL Preparation Guide 2017 & 2018 (2017) - Toby PDF
TOEFL Preparation Guide 2017 & 2018 (2017) - Toby PDF
TOEFL Preparation Guide 2017 & 2018 (2017) - Toby PDF
ENGLISH Reading
questions.
Success Tips:
1. You will need to read the passage just once and in a very quick manner.
2. Read every question carefully to fully understand what information you are
asked for.
3. Read through the passage swiftly for references i.e. search for the answer
to a question using the keywords contained in the question.
If you are presented a question such as- What are the possible causes of
epilepsy and diabetes? The keywords here are:
(a) Causes
(b) Cancer
(c) Epilepsy
In looking for the answer to this question, search the passage for these three
keywords. You may not see them but will find related words.
When you come across them or their synonyms or related words, quickly
read that region and try to understand what is being implied. By so doing,
you will get the answer as quickly as possible.
NOTE: look for the answer to question 1 in the first paragraph and begin
to come down gradually while searching for the answers to other questions.
This implies that you will keep going down till you get to the last question.
(A) Feathers
(B) Eyes
(C) Gills
(D) Teeth
ü Matching Headings
Matching headings is a very challenging aspect of ENGLISH Reading
section but not as difficult as it appears. With a constant practice it will be as
easy as anything you have come across.
Below is an example –
Headings:
1. Economic importance of housefly.
2. Gestation and Birth
3. Life cycle of housefly
These headings could come above a Reading passage that is split into
paragraphs. Each paragraph is supposed to have its own heading and you will
be required to select a suitable heading for each paragraph.
ü Right Approach
If the second heading is the answer to question 1, you are to write-
1. ii that is ‘ii’ should be written as the answer to number 1 question. It should
ü Success Tips
- Go through the first paragraph concentrating on the thesis statement
i.e. the first sentence in that paragraph. This will give you a clue on what
the paragraph is all about.
- If you pick a heading and later find out that it suits another
paragraph more, then you need to change your answer because you
times when ‘Terms’ are the questions and you will be required to choose the
right Definition for each Term.
There are also instances where you will be required to choose the right Term
for each Definition.
Example:
Below are two tables consisting of Terms and Definitions. Pick the right
Term for each Definition in questions 1 to 3.
Definitions
Terms
ü Sentence Completion
This is another Reading question type. Here you will be presented with
sentences and a box containing a list of words and you will be asked to
complete the sentences using the words in the box.
Example: Complete the following with the words or group of words in the
table below –
1. The school has …………………… the sale of handouts by its
lecturers.
2. The peaceful protest finally ……………… a great pandemonium.
In answering these questions, first you have to choose the words that can
complete each sentence; for every sentence, at times up to two words in the
box can actually complete it.
The first step is to pick out such words and then go back to the passage to
search for the keywords in the question. With this approach, you will be able
ü Summary Completion
In this question type you will be required to complete a summary using the
words from a table just like sentence completion.
They are similar in that you will be required to use only words from the table
presented to you. The summary is curled from the passage and you need to
Scan through the passage to be able to complete this summary.
if the statement is true, FALSE if the statement is false, and NOT GIVEN if
there is no information about the statement in the passage.
Example:
Birds do not have wings.
The above statement has to be declared True, False or Not Given.
If the passage says “Birds have wings,” it means we have to declare this
statement as FALSE because it contradicts the information in the passage.
However, if in the passage nothing is written about birds having wings or not,
that is the passage does not state whether birds have wings or not, then the
answer will be NOT GIVEN.
This is how cause and effect questions are presented and you will be asked to
fill in the gaps with at most three words. Please ensure you adhere to this
instruction.
There are also times when you would be presented with a list of causes and a
list of effects and would be asked to pick the right cause for every effect and
vice versa.
ü Labeling Diagrams
In labeling diagrams, you will be presented with diagrams and asked to label
them.The first thing you need to do is identify what the diagram stands for or
what it means, then you need to look for the name of this diagram in the
passage and then you will be able to label the diagrams.
Example:
The shapes above are squares. Now, you will have to go through the passage
searching for the word SQUARE. After you have found it, Scan through that
region and you will find the information with which you will label the
diagrams.
ü Classifying Information
In classifying information, you will be given two or three answer choices eg.
A if the statement has to do with chimpanzees.
2. C
ü Explanation
The answer to question 1 is (B) because reptiles lay eggs but chimpanzees do
not.
The answer to question 2 is (C) because both reptiles and chimpanzees
breathe with lungs.
Informal Letter
An informal letter is a letter written to a friend or relative. Exchange of
pleasantries, greetings, jokes, and the use of abbreviations are allowed e.g.
I’m, I’d, etc.
may have to start your letter with salutation e.g. Dear Mary.
Below is an example of an ENGLISH informal letter.
Write a letter to a friend telling him/her about your new pet.
Dear Peter,
I am so glad to write you once again. I’ve been very busy all this while and
I’ve not had time for myself or chat with everyone of you over there.
I wish to inform you that I have just bought a new pet, a lovely dog; his name
is Mario. Mario is such a cute dog that keeps me company and seeing him
makes me happy and gladdens my heart. I feed Mario about three times a day
and it keeps growing everyday.
Formal Letter
In writing a formal letter, you also do not need to write any address.
It is an official letter or letter to someone occupying a position in an
organization.
In this type of letter, you are not allowed to exchange pleasantries or use
abbreviations; words must be completely spelt out.
Example:
Write a letter to the Secretary of a firm enquiring about possible job vacancy.
Dear Sir/Madam,
With due regards, I wish to make an enquiry about possible job vacancies in
your organization. I am a graduate of Biochemistry with relevant work
experience and versatile in many fields. I have undergone several industrial
trainings and have attended a lot of Biochemistry workshops. I have a good
knowledge of Biochemistry and have written a lot of books.
Punctuation
You will be required to use the right punctuation. You will need to use full
stop where necessary as well as comma, semi-colon, etc.
Diagrams
In ENGLISH examinations you will be required to summarize/describe a
diagram in 150 words.
Examples:
The chart above is a pie chart showing the distribution of profit made by an
organization in two different years. Summarize these diagrams and report the
main features, similarities, and differences.
Approach
The second paragraph should be what you observe in 2008 and then the third
and last paragraph should be a comparison between the profit distribution in
2007 and 2008.
Bar Chart
You may also be presented with a bar chart as below:
If you wish to describe the above diagram, you will need to describe the
profit distribution in 2007 in your first paragraph, describe the profit
distribution in 2008 in your second paragraph and then compare the profit
distribution in the two years in the third and last paragraph.
Table
You may be presented with a table as below:
The Information
To summarize this table, you need to write your observation for the two
different years in two paragraphs and make comparison in the last paragraph.
Essay Writing
Here, you may be asked to write an essay of say 250 words in a specified
time frame.
This essay should have at least 5 paragraphs and should be well punctuated.
Types of Essays to Expect
Outline
2. Expository Essay:
In an expository essay, you will only be required to state the advantages and
disadvantages of a subject matter.
This type of essay does not require an expression of opinion but just a
statement of facts which encompass everything you know about a topic.
In ENGLISH writing section, in order to know the number of words you have
written, count the number of lines you have written, count the number of
ENGLISH Speaking
The ENGLISH Speaking section for any English exam consists of different
sections where you will be required to speak to the examiner or to a
computer.
It could be as below:
Success Tips
Good response:
My name is James Tom.
v Maintain a good eye contact with the examiner.
v Be audible but do not shout
Below is an example-
Success tip
Follow-up questions
Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer and include any
relevant examples from your experience.
It is pertinent to know that children are likened to a fragile object and as such
need to be handled with care and caution, their leisure time should not be
toyed with. The children’s leisure time is a time to relax their mind and enjoy
themselves, it is a time when they stay in the company of their parents.
However, my opinion is that children’s leisure time should be a balanced one,
In the second place, since children’s leisure time should be a balanced one,
they should be allowed to use some part of their leisure time to do their
assignment and sometimes, have tutor to help them at home but such time
should be structured not always, this would go a long way to meet up with
their academic expectations.
Moreover, a saying has it that “all work and no play make Jack a dull boy”,
as a result, children should be allowed to interact with their peers, this would
enhance their social and physical development. Also, children learn very fast
when they interact with their mate, they argue, criticize and support each
other on vital issues as it relates to their school, movies or any social event.
Infact, if you want to see the real nature of a child, observe them when they
stay in company of their peers.
this would help them to work harder as they look up to their mentor, they
may wish to take a career in football, which not only gives wealth, but also
popularity and lifestyles.
Above all, parents should make sure that children make good use of their
leisure time very well by trying to strike a balance between educational and
extra-curricular activities to make for complete personality of the child. This
would make them to adapt very well in this modern and complex society.
The rate of tobacco smoking among the youth is quite alarming, this if not
check would not only pose a problem on the health of the youth but also
reduce the labour force in the country. However, the reasons for these
problems are as follows:
Firstly, poor parental up-brining is a major factor. Parents do not give their
children moral training. Some parents even pamper their children by giving
them money. Sometimes, such parents out of carelessness keep money at
home where their children see and steal the money. They use the money to
buy tobacco which they smoke with their friends.
something doing they engage in vices, this goes to buttress the saying that
“an idle mind is a devil’s workshop” . When the youths are not gainfully
employed they resort to vices like smoking tobacco, stealing, prostitution etc.
Thirdly, is bad friends, there is a saying that “bad friends corrupt good
manner’s many youths today come from good home but are corrupted by the
friends they keep. Such youths go to night clubs, uncompleted buildings and
other hideouts where they perpetuate the act of smoking tobacco.
In view of the above mentioned reasons why the youths engaged in tobacco
smoking, the possible solutions are as follows: in the first place, parents
should bring their children in the fear of God. They should instill good
morals on their children and monitor their whereabouts. This will go a long
way to checkmate when they go astray and the type of friends they keep.
workshop. This would help to curtail the rate of tobacco smoking among the
youths.
On the whole, the youths are the future leaders of tomorrow; there is the need
to protect them from vices. As a result the church, ministry of education,
parents, and law enforcement agencies should be alert to their responsibilities
to protect the youth from going astray. I believe if the above mentioned
solutions are implemented, the sky will be their limit and they will live up to
their technological base in order to make life more rewarding and word while
for their people and to let go its traditional values and ways of life. I am in
support of this idea and my points are buttress below:
In the first place, the society today is becoming more complex, the society is
becoming more populated and there is the need to meet up with the demands
of the population. People’s needs are insatiable and as a result, there is the
need for advancement in technology to produce goods in large qualities in
order to meet the excessive demands of the society nowadays, machines does
the work of many people this is very fast and makes work easier.
Moreover, in the olden days, our forefathers and mothers are great teachers
who impact knowledge through indoctrination, more observation and
recitation of ideas, however, the advent of western education have changed
all that, through education we learn a lot of things such as how to keep our
environment clean to avoid infection, how to keep hygiene, through
education, diseases are being diagnosed and treated with modern techniques,
unlike in the past where herbs and roots are used to cure diseases. It is
pertinent to understand that medical research are being carried out to
ascertain the preventive measures and cure of many deadly diseases like
“cancer”, “diabetes”, “hypertension “hepatitis”, “stroke” etc. These help to
preserve lives.
cars, rail, boat etc have made life easy, unlike in the olden days when our
fore-fathers trek on foot, infact, I must say we are living a more rewarding
and word while life than our fore-fathers.
You should use our own ideas, knowledge and experiences and support your
arguments with examples and relevant evidence.
education, and trade which are essential for the development of poorer
nations. Though, apart from the adverse consequences of over-dependence of
poorer nations on richer nations, the benefits are too numerous to mention
such as:
In the first place, it will help to alleviate the plight of poorer nations.
Developing nations have been faced with problems of poor educational
funding, high mortality rate as a result of poor health facilities, inadequate
health personnel, lack of qualified teacher’s poor standard of living as a result
In the second place, it will help to reduce the mass exodus of people in
developing countries to Europe and America in search of greener pastures. In
recent times, people have been leaning their countries to abroad, some of
these people are professionals like teachers, doctors, surveyors, scientist who
would have become an important labour force, contributing to the
development of their country. Consequently, these problems lead to brain
drain.
Moreover, the richer nations providing assistance to the poorer nations in the
area of health, education and trade, will make the poorer nations to develop,
thereby putting an end to inferiority complex between developing nations and
developed nations especially as they come together in international
conferences, international organizations like between developing nations and
developed nations especially as they come together in international
conferences, international organizations like U.N.O., common wealth, etc.
also, such poorer countries can also be in position to make policies and
and stable.
Above all, there is a big gap between developing nations and develop nations
in the area of technological and infrastructural developments. This can be
attributed to backwardness, corruption, embezzlement of public funds, etc.
Nevertheless, despite these challenges, developed and richer nations should
come to the aid of poorer nations by assisting and supporting them in the
areas of health, education and trade. These would make life more worthwhile
God gave us children in our care, so leaving them to engage in some kind of
aid work is against God as injunction and an aberration, considering the fact
that they fall victims of work hazards. Though, some people regard it as
money which is the root of all evils. Among other things, it will make them to
deviate from morals as they resort to boy/girls friend relationship, some
children because they have means at their disposal start to live flamboyant
life going to club, buying expensive things like phones, clothes etc as a result
of the boy/girl friend relationship, they may fall victims of unwanted
pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease which may put their life in jeopardy
and ruin their career.
Secondly, exposing children to money at an early age makes them to lose that
sense of humility, since they are now the bScan through-winner of their
family. This will make them to lack respect and talk to their parents anyhow.
This is because their parents have failed in their responsibilities to care for
them. In the long run, they may encounter problem, because there is a saying
that has it “pride goes before the fall”
Thirdly, another factor is that such children may be exposed to risk like
kidnapping, armed robbery and rape especially the female. For example, i
have an experience of a girl child who worked as a sales girl in a filling
station, she fell victim of armed robbery attack who shot her death because
she failed to release the sales money at her disposal, moreover, some girls are
being raped or asked for sex by their employer as a condition for working.
These affect the children in diverse ways.
In addition, because they started seeing money at an early age, it may put
them at risk to abandon their education for the search of money, especially
children from poor family background. Education is the greatest gift a parent
can give to a child. Whereby they failed to give them the desired education
which is an instrument of character molding and learning, they start
misbehaving and put their future in jeopardy.
All in all, children are the future leaders of tomorrow as a result, there is need
to lay a positive and solid foundation for their future through qualitative
education and good moral training and not to allow them to take on paid jobs
thereby exposing them to money and its consequences, such as rape, armed
robbery attack, lose of humility putting their education at risk, kidnapping
etc.
The world is a global village and is filled with a lot of activities for
entertainment like football world cup and other international sport occasions,
however, such events are essential in easing international tension and
retaining patriotic emotions. My reasons are explain below
In the first place, the coming together of different teams from different
countries in one particular country for sporting competition like world cup
helps to ensure cohesion and stability in the world. This is because when
countries that are not in good terms and its teams stays in the same venue or
are put in the same group, it goes a long way in easing international tension.
Thirdly, the fact that various teams being their national anthem before any
match with passion is a symbol of patriotism, let us not forget the various
team jerseys, nations flag are all embodiment of patriotism. Moreover, when
a team put on their nations jerseys with pride, it promotes winning mentality,
never-say-die attitude and strong passion to win matches.
Additionally, the opening and closing ceremony of world cup and Olympic
competitions are usually marked with various activities like dancing, singing,
parade, fashion etc. These not only provide means of entertaining the world
but helps to promote the world cultural heritage. This goes a long way in
easing international tensions and make the competition lively.
All in all, sporting competition like football, Olympic etc are instruments of
promoting peaceful co-existence among countries of the world and as such
should be given the desired attention it deserved. This would help to ease
international tension and foster sense of patriotism to the nation.
ENGLISH Listening
The ENGLISH listening section is the most challenging aspect of the test.
Here, an audio recording of many tracks will be played and you will be
Success Tips
While listening to the audio tape, place your hand on your question
paper and fill in the answer as soon as you hear it.
Only pay attention to the missing detail and write it as quickly as
possible.
Do not use abbreviations for your answers.
Write with a pencil first on our question paper and transfer to your
Listening module
v Order of events
In listening for order of events, a series of events will be listed and you
will be required to listen to a tape and write the correct order in which the
events should come e.g. Austin wants to go to school today.
- Take a drive
In listening for the correct emotion you will be presented with a list of
emotions to choose from such as happy, sad, thrilled, excited, etc.
v Year
In listening for the correct year, you will be required to listen to an audio
recording and fill in the correct year a particular event occurred e.g.
You will need to listen to the year he studied in England and the year he went
on a vacation.
v Day
In listening for day, you will need to listen for the correct day an event
Here, you will be presented with sentences with a word underlined and
you will be asked to write a word or group of words you heard in the
audio tape that is synonymous with the underlined word.
You will hear a recording and you will also hear a word or group of words
that have a similar meaning to “lecture”. This is what you ought to write.
v Time of event
Listening for time of events requires you to listen and pick the correct
time an event will take place
For instance,
When will the class start today?
(a) 2pm
(b) 2:30pm
(c) 12:00pm
(d) 4pm
You will have to listen carefully to the audio recording in order to hear the
correct time.
v Spelling
Listening for correct spelling, you are required to listen to the correct
spelling of words and circle the right word.
Frequency of events
In listening for the frequency of events you will be presented with different
frequencies such as always, often, seldom and so on. You will need to tick
which one is applicable to each statement in the audio record.
For instance, if someone says I eat every day, you will have to tick (always)
but if the person says I do not eat at all, you will have to tick (never)
Classification/grouping
1……………….. 2……………….
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